City Of Napa's Public Art

Press release from the City of Napa:

February 16, 2022

NAPA, CA — The Parks & Recreation Department is kicking off several public art projects, including the 1st Street Roundabout public art project. Read more here about the City of Napa’s Public Art Ordinance here.

Have you ever been curious about how public art is funded?

The City of Napa has a dedicated Public Art Fund. This fund was created in conjunction with the City’s Public Art Ordinance that requires commercial developers to dedicate 1% of the project construction costs to public art on their site or to pay the 1% into the Public Art Fund. This fund is used to support permanent public art throughout the community on city property. The City created a Public Art Master Plan in 2014 to help identify goals and priorities for the Public Art Fund. Gateways and the roundabouts were identified in the plan as a top priority to enhance the character of Napa and further develop our community’s identity.

How is safety taken into consideration in Public Art?

As it relates to the upcoming 1st Street Roundabout artwork, the Conceptual Design Criteria includes this requirement: “The artwork will need to consider the proximity to the roadway and the complexity of the intersection as a roundabout and the artwork should not be overly distracting to drivers.”

Additionally, goals of the project are stated as such:

• Enhance downtown Napa’s image as a world-class art destination.
• Be iconic and a true gateway piece.
• Be site specific and original.
• Be inviting and aesthetically appealing.
• Be viewable as a drive-by experience.

Mission & Vision:

The City of Napa has developed a growing art collection over the past 50 years reflecting the community’s evolving culture and identity. This gateway statement piece is commissioned to amplify the City of Napa on the international art map as well as create a great sense of local community pride. The artist and their artwork should reflect our values of diversity and inclusion along with set a high bar for future permanent works. Just as the City of Napa has a rich history and enduring story, our hope is this work will not only reflect our past but have a part in elevating and transforming Napa as we embark on a bold new chapter of the community’s public art program.

For more information, please read our October 2019 Letter to the Editor regarding Public Art safety and funding: Public art will not come from taxpayer funds | Letters to the Editor | napavalleyregister.com

This press release was produced by the City of Napa. The views expressed here are the author’s own.